The backing of the decriminalisation of abortion by the House of Lords earlier this week has been criticised in the Seanad. Senator Sharon Keogan said the move, which “effectively decriminalises abortion up to birth” was concerning, questioning whether it would open the door to “unregulated late-term abortions.”
On Wednesday, the House of Lords voted in support of an amendment which would pardon women who have been prosecuted under criminal law for illegal abortions.
Baroness Monckton of Dallington Forest tabled an amendment seeking to overturn the “radical proposal” in the Lords, however, it was defeated.
Last June, abortion-supporting MPs, led by MP Tonia Antoniazzi inserted an abortion up to birth clause (208) which was voted through after just 46 minutes of backbench debate – with the move criticised over a lack of no prior consultation with the public, no Committee Stage scrutiny and no evidence sessions.
MP Antoniazzi made headlines for saying in an interview that she was comfortable with women being able to abort a viable baby at 37 weeks.
Pro-life groups have argued that the Antoniazzi clause would make it more likely that healthy babies are aborted at home for any reason, up to birth.
The clause would change the law so it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason, and at any point up to and during birth – with fears that the amendment will lead to a significant increase in the number of women performing late-term abortions at home,
“Since this concerns the country that has jurisdiction over Northern Ireland, I feel compelled to speak out,” said Senator Keogan. “We should first be concerned as to whether we are being exposed to a serious risk of opening a back door to unregulated late-term abortions, mainly via pills in the post, through the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland.
‘INCREDIBLY UNDEMOCRATIC’
“While I understand the North is devolved from Westminster in these matters, this is a risk that we in these Houses must seriously analyse. More importantly, I would like to condemn this as a dangerous development. Polling has shown that very few people in the UK or in any country for that matter believe that late-term abortions are acceptable, regardless of whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, yet legislation that de facto allows it was pushed through in an incredibly undemocratic way.”
Senator Fiona O’Loughlin of Fianna Fáil said she shared concerns about the legislation.
“Senator Keogan spoke about legislation recently introduced in the House of Lords. While we do not comment on legislation brought forward in other jurisdictions, I share her concern about it opening a door to unregulated abortion,” said O’Loughlin.
It comes after a poll run by The Telegraph found that 91% of 28,000 respondents said they were opposed to the extreme law change that would be introduced by clause by 208.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said plans to decriminalise abortion would negatively impact women.
“Late-term abortions carry greater medical risk. That is not ideological, it is a clinical fact. This legislation pushes us towards less oversight, even at later stages of pregnancy,” said Badenoch this week in a piece published in The Telegraph.
“There is also the question of coercion. When safeguards are weakened, it is not usually the empowered who are affected, but the vulnerable. Women in coercive relationships are the ones harmed by weaker safeguards.”
Conservative peer Baroness Monckton said that the change, backed this week, would endanger women “by removing the current legal deterrent against administering an abortion away from a clinical setting right up to birth”, however her amendment was rejected by 185 votes to 148.
The development means that the Crime and Policing Bill will effectively remove the right to prosecution under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
Right to Life UK and others have claimed that if clause 2018 becomes law, it would be the biggest change to abortion legislation since the Abortion Act was first introduced in 1967.